Turriff Cup Final Review for w/e 16th-17th September 2017 - Knight Riders Save the Best for Last

Just when the cricketing fraternity of the North-East had begun to think the game had been well and truly put to bed for the winter, up comes a final in the early season of mellow fruitfulness fit to grace any of our best days of what passes for an Aberdeen summer, producing all the spills associated with the Twenty-20 version of the game.

Having endured a week of unseasonal Autumn rain, Harlaw Playing Fields was scarcely the venue you might have picked for the final of the Turriff Cup, especially as this writer had done his research on the suitability of the ground the day before on his way to cover rugby at Rubislaw. My impression from the pavilion was that the pitch would not be deemed playable less than 24 hours. My muddy shoes bearing testimony to my observations, so it was to my great surprise I received a text to say play was underway at around 11am on Sunday morning.

Indeed, astonishment was more the order of the day, but what transpired was a credit to the two finalists who simply got on with the job, serving up as dainty a dish as you will ever see in a one-day final.

Knight Riders batted first, reaching a respectable 121 all out given the treacherous underfoot conditions, mainly due to a sensible knock of 47 from Sivaganesan Palaniappan, while the Allan Park bowlers, including Fazal Khan 3-14 and Abeeruddin Syed 3-17 did a first class job of containing the Groats Road side's batsman.

The Cults reply was led by Geet Grover who stroked a simply superb 50 to take his side within a whisker of winning the game, only to be denied by the bowling heroics of Bijin Vijayaraj who stepped up to the mark when it really mattered to return the figures of three wickets for 16 to take the game away from Cults.

A two run win was agonisingly close in a pulsating game, giving Knight Riders a well deserved award in what had become a season of near things for them after being runners up in the Aberdeenshire Cup and third in Grade 1. For Cults, it was their closest run thing after the disappointment of a generally poor season, In defeat Cults captain Aqeel Ajazi was generous with his praise. "It was a magnificent game of cricket, won by a very good team. I am just pleased we managed to get it played this season," he said.

Somu Kumarasamy, the Knight Riders captain was equally appreciative of his opponents and said: "It was a splendid final. Cults pushed us all the way. It could have gone either way. I'm just pleased for my team who have worked hard to give us our best season ever."

Thus, ended one of the most dramatic seasons in the 133-year-old history of the ACA Grades, and certainly the muddiest one ever.

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